


Wedding Day

by hannahfanficrobron



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Disasters, Distractions, Family, Gen, M/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 16:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7275475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahfanficrobron/pseuds/hannahfanficrobron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron and Robert's wedding day, where everything that can go wrong probably will! Set a few years into the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wedding Day

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this in the midst of Gordon's trial and found it today, unfinished. Wanted to give it a polish up and see what you think. Because of this, Gordon was convicted but for significantly less time than on Emmerdale. Enjoy!

Aaron looked around the back room of the pub, feeling unaccountably nervous. Today was finally his wedding day. He wanted to marry Robert desperately, but if he had his way it’d be a quick ceremony in a registry office. Robert had argued, and Aaron had given way, letting him win. Aaron was already in his suit, even though he was early and had some time to kill. 

Chas came downstairs, all ready to go and she looked at her son smiling. “You look so handsome.”

“Mum…” Aaron said, shaking his head.

“You okay?” she asked, sensing Aaron’s nerves.

“Yeah,” Aaron said. “Just want to get it over with.”

“You can always back out?” Chas asked, more hopeful than she should have been. “I can drive the getaway car, Cain can kill Robert. Easily done.” Aaron smiled at her, knowing she was only half joking.

“Can you… go to the church? I’ll be there in a bit, just want some time on my own to think.”

“Yeah,” Chas said. She hugged her son tightly, smiling at him. “Just one text, and I’ll get you out of here," she said with a wink.

“Have you seen Robert today?” Aaron asked. For some reason, Robert was superstitious, though it hadn’t done him any good with his first marriage.

“No,” Chas said.

“Let me know if he looks nervous,” Aaron said. Chas laughed but agreed, then left the pub, leaving Aaron alone for some much needed time to think. He’d only been alone for five minutes when the back door banged open and closed. Half hoping it’d be Robert, Aaron was shocked so much that he stood frozen at the man who’d just come in. Gordon. Aaron couldn’t move, could just hear his breathing ratchet up.

“Hello son,” Gordon said, almost smirking at him. Aaron tried to move, his phone was on the kitchen table but he never got there. Gordon grabbed him, throwing him bodily against the wall.

Gordon had his arm across Aaron’s throat, pressing not quite hard enough to cut of his air supply. “I’m not scared of you,” Aaron said. “The days when I was frightened of you, terrified to sleep are long gone.” The pressure on his windpipe increased.

“I could kill you here, you know,” Gordon said, almost snarling. “Might be time to be scared of me.”

“Yeah, you could kill me,” Aaron said, his voice coming out barely above a whisper. “But I’m not scared of you. You’re a pathetic paedophile. Speaking of, how was prison?” Aaron grunted as a punch he hadn’t seen coming hit his jaw. Aaron buckled, staggering to the floor, and he tried again to reach his phone, but Gordon picked him up and punched him again before he had time to react. Gordon was the one brimming with anger, and it was now coming out.

They both heard the back door bang again and Aaron froze, seeing Gordon take a hand gun out of his jacket. “Oh my God,” Aaron whispered. His father could kill him here, and that gun looked real. Gordon pointed it at the door, at whoever was interrupting them. Aaron saw her first, it was Rosie, Victoria and Adam’s daughter, already dressed in her bridesmaids dress that she’d been going on about for the past six months.

“Aaron, Uncle Robert w…” Rosie cut off, seeing a stranger pointing a gun at her, fear in her eyes stopping her from screaming.

“Run!” Aaron said. “Get Robert now!” She was a sharp kid, quick on the uptake and turned and fled. Sadly Gordon was quicker, running after her and grabbing her by the waist, almost throwing her into the room. Aaron would have run away, but after being punched he was winded and he couldn’t find his feet in time. And then it was too late because there was no way in this world he would be leaving Rosie and Gordon alone in the same room. Rosie had screamed, but Aaron knew the pub was empty, due to the wedding.

“W… who are you?” Rosie asked.

Gordon looked at her again, standing in front of the door to prevent their leaving. He took in her pale pink dress and the flowers in her hair, then looked at Aaron's now rumpled suit.

“Interrupting am I?”

“It’s the wedding,” Rosie said, rather unhelpfully in Aaron's opinion.

“Oh yeah, whose?”

“Be quiet for a bit, eh?” Aaron said to Rosie, winking at her. She took the point and didn’t reply, sitting down next to Aaron and folding her arms in Gordon’s direction. She loved Aaron and would (usually) do anything he asked of her.

“We don’t want any more interruptions do we?” Gordon muttered to himself. “Where are the keys to the front of the pub?” Aaron said nothing until Gordon pointed a gun at the girl. Rosie clutched to Aaron’s arm, fear making her shake.

“Behind the bar,” Aaron said, knowing that stalling wasn’t helping. “On top of the champagne fridge.”

“Don’t move, or I will kill her,” Gordon said before leaving them alone. Aaron listened, hearing him lock the back door before moving to the front of the pub.

“Can you get out the window?” Rosie looked at it and then looked down at her outfit.

“I’ll ruin my dress,” she said.

“I’ll buy you another one,” Aaron said. “Promise. Go and get your uncle Robert and tell him Gordon’s here.”

“What about you?”

“I won’t fit through the window. Go on.” He winked and Rosie got up and hurried through the window at the same time Gordon came back in. He took in the situation and immediately raced for Rosie. Aaron got in the way, earning himself a punch to the ribs. A fight ensued and by the time Aaron lay on the floor bleeding, Rosie was gone.

* * *

 

“Robert!” she screamed all the way to the church.

“Hey, hey what’s wrong?” Robert said, catching hold of the little girl, bending down to her level. 

“Someone’s got Aaron in the pub!”

“Who?” Robert asked. Rosie was crying and it was hard to get a word out of her. “Calm down sweetheart, who is it?” Robert asked, trying to keep his voice quiet.

“Aaron called him Gordon,” she said, sniffing.

“What?” Chas said darkly, overhearing. Robert started to slip into panic and got his phone out of his pocket.

“He was released last week,” Robert said, dialling the police. “Go find your mum,” he said to Rosie, who was still sobbing. The noise had called Victoria and she looked at her daughter in concern.

“How did I not know that?” Chas asked, furious. "That scumbag's been released?!"

“Aaron didn’t want to make a fuss about it.” Robert started jogging towards the pub. “He didn’t want it to ruin our day. Police!” he said to the operator as he answered the phone, rushing towards the pub, people following him.

* * *

 

The police were on there way by the time Robert reached the Woolpack. He threw his phone away and desperately tried to get into the pub but it was locked, and someone, Gordon he guessed, had left the key in the lock so no one could get in from the outside. Even if he had a spare key. He kicked at the door. “Aaron!” He kicked again. “Aaron!” It took a matter of seconds before Cain was there with him, both of them trying to get into the locked pub. The gunshot was so loud it stopped them both from moving for a second. “Aaron!!!” Robert couldn’t stop the sheer panic, fear and terror that ran through him at the sound. “Oh, God.” Aaron could be dead right now. And he’d never see him again, never see him smile or laugh. Never be able to touch him again. Never hold him, never tease him ever again.

“Oh, come on!” he shouted at the door. “Aaron!”

“Move,” Cain said. Robert did and Cain threw his entire weight against the door. On the third time, the lock broke. Robert pulled him aside and raced in.

“Aaron!” He didn’t have the attention to spare for anything else, when he saw Aaron lying on the floor immobile.

“Aaron, come on look at me,“ Robert begged, a hand to his face, trying to rouse him. “Look at me.” He did. He’d been slipping in and out of consciousness and wasn’t aware of much at the moment. Except Robert’s face in front of him.

“Oh, you’re alive,” he said with clear relief. He looked him over and saw that he was in a pretty bad way. A split lip and a black eye coming, as well as the fact that he looked like he’d been used as a punching bag.

“Robert?” he slurred.

“Yeah, I’m here,” he said.

“R… Rosie?”

“Fine,” he said. “She’s absolutely fine. She‘s with Vic.” Aaron smiled and closed his eyes.

“No, no, no,” Robert said, gently tapping Aaron on his cheek, trying to keep him conscious. “You have to stay with me. Keep looking at me.”

“You’re not all that you know,” Aaron said. “I don’t always have to be looking at you.”

“That’s it, just keep talking,” he said, gripping hold of his hand tightly.

“I think I might have ruined the wedding day.”

“Always got to be about you, hasn’t it?” Robert teased. He kept a hand on Aarons face as he took in the rest of the room. Gordon sat against the wall, gun in his right hand and eyes blank. It took a moment to take in the blood splattered on the wall behind his head. He’d shot himself then. Not Aaron. Robert let out a breath that at least Aaron’s injuries would probably heal.

“I told you I didn’t want a big do,” Aaron said, his eyes almost sparkling at Robert.

“You always seem to get your way in the end.”

“I’m tired,” he said.

“You can’t sleep,” Robert said. “Stay with me.”

“Gordon?” he asked, slurring a little with the pain.

“Looks like he shot himself.

“Good.” Robert let out a breath of a smile.

“An ambulance is on the way,” Cain said from somewhere behind Robert. Robert didn’t have the time to even look, all of his attention was focused on Aaron, lying hurting in front of him.

“Did he shoot you?” Robert asked, scanning his body for serious blood or gunshots.

“No,” Aaron breathed. “Just hit me around a bit. My left shoulder really, really hurts.”

“Okay, okay,” Robert said. “Keep looking at me.” Aaron did, blue eyes on Roberts.

“You look great,” Aaron said. “Sorry for ruining it.”

“Hey, you’ve ruined nothing,” Robert said. He knew there was company but right now he didn’t care. “I love you.”

“No, we said we wouldn’t do that,” Aaron said quietly, smiling slightly. “We don’t say goodbye like that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Robert said, smiling at him. “Where the hell is that ambulance?” Robert said, turning to Cain. Cain was looking at Robert as if he’d never seen him before, but he didn’t have the time to focus on that now. Robert leaned over Aaron and kissed him softly.

“We said we don’t do that either,” Aaron said, smiling at him anyway. “I love you, too.”

“Keep watching me, Aaron,” Robert said firmly. He didn’t, eyes closing, but Robert kept his fingers on the pulse in his neck. Steady and most definitely there. That was what he had to focus on.

* * *

 

Aaron felt the sharp pain in his chest as he returned to consciousness. He groaned in pain, still with his eyes closed.

“Aaron?” He recognised the voice, but it took a moment for the name to register through his drugged mind. 

“Robert?”

“I’m here,” he said. “Come on, open your eyes.” He did, focusing on Robert for a moment.

“Oh, thank God,” he said, clearly relieved. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been thrown under a bus.”

“Aaron?” His eyes flicked from Robert to Rosie who was sitting right next to him. He’d not noticed her before. Her eyes were wide and she looked really upset.

“She’s been really worried about you,” Robert said. “Wouldn’t leave until you’d woken up.”

“Are you feeling better?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah,” he lied.

“See?” Robert said. “Told you he’d wake up.” Rosie got up and hugged Aaron tightly. Aaron bit his lip, trying not to groan with the pain. God, that hurt.

“I’m glad you’re not dead,” she said.

“Oh, that’s charming,” Aaron said, forcing a slight smile.

“How about you go home with your mum. I said you could stay here until Aaron woke up,” Robert said quietly. Victoria was waiting just outside the door.

“You’ll be all right?” Rosie asked Aaron.

“Yes,” he promised. “Course. Tough as nails, me.” Rosie smiled and Robert took her out of the room, leaving Aaron momentarily alone. He groaned in pain, wondering if the pain killers he was on were actually doing anything to help him.

“How bad is it?” Aaron asked as Robert came back into the hospital room.

“You’ve got a broken left collarbone,” Robert said quietly. “The rest is just bumps and bruises.”

“Oh,” he said. “Good, I guess?”

“Are you all right?” Robert asked seriously.

“You look like hell,” Aaron said, avoiding replying. Robert’s wedding suit looked like it’d been slept in for a week, and there was blood on the shirt sleeves, his he assumed.

“Well, getting changed hadn’t been the top of my list,” Robert said. “And don’t dodge the question.”

“I was scared,” he admitted. “I thought… I’d never have to see him again.”

“You won’t,” he said. “Not ever again.”

“He did me a favour,” Aaron said. “Shooting himself.”

“I thought he’d shot you,” Robert admitted. “Hearing that shot, I… Aaron, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

“Well, we’d have a matching set of scars, then, wouldn’t we?” Aaron quipped. “You should have known I never could have shot you. Back then.”

“You weren’t exactly happy with me at the time,” Robert reminded him.

“Yeah, and not two months before that you had me tied to a radiator, pointing a loaded gun at my head,” Aaron said. He shook his head, not really wanting this trip down memory lane.

“In case you’ve forgotten, I couldn’t do it,” Robert said quietly.

Aaron shrugged. “How is Rosie?”

“She’s fine,” Robert said. “Gordon didn’t go near her.”

“I know,” Aaron said. “I wasn’t leaving her alone with that psychopath. I meant… is she shaken up?”

“No,” Robert said. “She was just desperately worried about you. You seem to have made quite an impression on her.”

“She’s a good kid,” Aaron said. “I’m tired.”

“Okay,” Robert said. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“No,” Aaron said, shaking his head. “Go home. Have a shower, get some sleep. You won’t do any good watching me.”

“You sure?” Robert asked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Robert agreed. He leaned over the hospital bed and kissed him gently. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t,” Aaron said. “Where’s mum?”

“Waiting outside.”

“I want to see her,” Aaron said. “I need to.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Robert said, kissing him again. Aaron closed his eyes for a moment until he heard his mums voice.

“Aaron?”

“Hi,” he said.

“How are you love?” she asked, grabbing his hand.

“Great,” he said sarcastically. “Broken collarbone. Just the wedding day I wanted.”

“I meant…”

“I’m fine,” he said, not wanting to get into the Gordon side of things.

“Oh, love,” she said sadly.

“Don’t, mum,” he said. “I’m fine.” Chas seemed to be on the verge of tears and he didn’t want to push it. “How long’ve I been out of it?”

“All day,” she said. “You were bleeding internally, but the doctors say it’s under control. I can’t believe he…”

“Yeah, okay,” Aaron said. “Just… he’s gone. Let‘s not talk about it.”

“Robert’s not left your side today,” she said.

“Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about him?”

“Not really,” she said. “Just… maybe he has a soul after all.”

“I’m tired,” Aaron said. “I just wanted you to see that I was okay.”

“Go to sleep, love,” she said. “Been a long day.”

* * *

 

“How’s Aaron?” Cain asked the next day, nursing his pint.

“Gets out of hospital later,” Chas said, smiling. “He’ll be sore for a while, but he’ll heal.”

“Sugden getting him?”

“Yes,” Chas said.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Cain said. “He… he cares for Aaron.”

“You’ve changed your tune,” Chas said, looking at Cain. “You were all against this wedding in the first place.”

“I know,” he said. “I didn’t think he’s the best thing for Aaron. I still don’t but clearly there’s something decent about him. After all that business with Gordon…”

“What’s changed your mind?” Chas said. After all, the revelations about Gordon were years ago now.

Cain sighed, as if weighing his words and what to say. “When we were trying to get into the pub, knowing that Aaron was trapped alone with Gordon, and we heard that gun shot…” Cain shook his head over his pint. “I have never seen anyone look so terrified as Robert did then. There aren’t words for that. And when we were waiting for the ambulance… he really loves him, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah. Annoying that, isn’t it?” Chas said, smiling at her brother. Her son was all right, and that was the most important thing.

 


End file.
